10 Things a West Coaster Learned on a First Visit to Stew Leonard’s

From dancing cartons of milk to endless free samples, I discover why the tristate area loves this grocery

I’m going to preface this article by saying that I live in Los Angeles, where Trader Joe’s is rightfully praised by all grocery shoppers looking for a quality bargain. But after talking with several of my friends on the East Coast, the name “Stew Leonard’s” kept popping up.

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And by popping up, I mean they totally raved about it. It was the Halo Top / Crossfit / Coachella of supermarkets — my friends couldn’t stop spreading the word. So, when I recently visited Connecticut, I had to drop by Stew Leonard’s and check out the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores” for myself. I even had a chance to talk to Stew Leonard Jr. himself about some of the practices that have made the chain so successful.

I’m going to say this right now: This is no ordinary supermarket, and I’m still recovering from the experience. Forget everything you know about “going to the store to pick up some stuff” because this was the most unique shopping adventure I’ve ever encountered, and here’s 10 reasons why.